The Phrase That Pays
by Bryan Cranston
Summary: Joker/OFC. What happens when Joker gets Bruce Wayne's girlfriend? Will Joker harm her, use her to get to Bruce or will something different happen? Could the Joker fall in love with this girl, and could she too get feelings for him? Find out here. :
1. Is It Serious?

I never thought I'd end up here. I never thought I'd end up in the mental institute. Why am I here? I'm here because I loved one person so much that I'd do anything and everything for that person. I lost my sanity for this person. I murdered someone who loved me unconditionally in cold blood for this person.

I had to been insane to fall in love with him anyway. How could I have fallen in love with a murderer who killed for fun? He had a different side to him. He showed it to me for some reason. I almost wish he hadn't. I almost wish he had done what he did to every other person he kidnapped; killed me. I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be totally insane. I wouldn't be doing the same exact things he did.

I should hate him, but I don't. I never would hate him. Even as I sat here staring at the walls and laughing hysterically, I didn't wish him any harm. He was here somewhere; he was here planning his escape. I doubt that I crossed his mind even once, but it still didn't make me hate him. I'd rot in this hellhole for the rest of my life if that's what he wanted me to do.

I suppose I should tell people about this person I keep talking about. I suppose I shouldn't just assume that everyone knew who I was, and that they knew my story. No matter how bad and stupid it may make me look, I'll let everyone know how I ended up here, and how my life completely changed in one year.

--------------------------------

When I first met Bruce Wayne, I was even more fucked up than I am currently. My parents had just died in a car accident. I never got to say goodbye to them, I never got to tell them I loved them for the last time. I wasn't exactly something they could be proud of either. I was pretty much broke. I was almost twenty-four years old and I was still living with my parents. I still depended on them for most things. My job I had was just enough to pay them a small rent each month. I felt so fucking bad about it. I should have gone to school; I should've made something of my life.

I met Bruce, and I almost instantly fell in love with him. The way he made feel was just so…different. The fact that I was nobody didn't bother him. He didn't care that I wasn't wealthy like him. Bruce didn't expect anything from me, he just loved me. That was all I really needed. I didn't need anyone who expected something from me because I'd just end up letting that person down in a major way, so the fact that Bruce only expected me to remain faithful to him helped out a lot.

Something that should have bothered me was the fact that Bruce was rarely around for me. He was a successful business man, and he also did something very few people knew about. Bruce's other 'identity' that people wouldn't associate with him was Batman. Actually, this made me feel protected. I felt like nothing bad would ever happen to me, I would never be hurt by any of the stupid, maniacal criminals that lived in this town. Turns out, there was one person not even he could protect me from.

------------------------

I slowly walked home from working the night shift at Rite Aid. Fun job, right? Hell no. I knew I shouldn't be walking home alone, especially with it being dark as it possibly could be out. It's not like I didn't do this at least once every week. If I hadn't been raped or murdered yet, it probably wasn't going to happen anytime soon, unless I did something extremely stupid. If I was stupid and something happened, I would deserve it anyway, but since I was only being slightly _reckless_, nothing that I didn't deserve would happen. _Wrong again, dumbass. _

I never was aware of my surroundings. People always told me I should be more aware of people around me, but it made no difference. How was I supposed to know if someone is behind me? How am I supposed to know that someone's following me, I don't have eyes in the back of my head. I never really cared about my inability to sense people behind me, but after tonight, I would. It would have saved me my fucking mind, my fucking heart, and most of all; my life would have never taken the change that it did in that seemingly insignificant night.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here all by yourself?" A voice unlike any that I'd heard before said from behind me.

I thought about ignoring this person, which may or may not have been a good choice, but I rolled my eyes, continued walking and replied, "None of your fucking business."

"Do you even know who you're talking to, _sweetheart_?" The voice snapped from behind me. He grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him. His face was immediately recognizable; his pure white face, all the black around his eyes, bright red lips, and scars that formed a permanent smile on his face. No doubt I had just snapped at a person I really shouldn't have snapped at; one of the most feared people in this town, the Joker.

_well, you may as well keep on screwing yourself over. Can't really undo what you've already done, can you? _"I have absolutely no idea who you are," I replied, smiling at him.

"Well, you're just going to _have _to get to know me, sweetheart."

"I really don't. You're insane if you think I'm going anywhere with you or that I ever want to see your face again."

"You have _no _idea how insane I really am, sweetheart," Joker said laughing. "You know the fact that you're still being a rude little bitch to me instead of fearing me and doing everything I say impresses me. It may have even saved your life, but you're _just _what I've been looking for. They always come out for the beautiful hostages," He said, licking his lips, and smiling. I stared at him, knowing there was no way out of this. The fear had finally set in. I had come to the realization that my life as I knew it was over, and that no one was going to stop my life from changing completely.


	2. I Make Plans to Break Plans

I had hoped that all that happened last night was a dream. Maybe if I told myself that enough times it'd be true. If I told myself that I wasn't in some unfamiliar room with some murdering psychopath, I wouldn't be. I knew as well as anyone else though that it was useless.

I looked at the window, wondering if it was big enough to get out of. I would have tried it because it looked big enough, but it was pouring rain outside. I always hated rain. It was so cold, so wet. Whenever I stood outside in the rain for a while, I got sick.

I'd get out of here as soon as it stopped though. I'd get out, or Bruce would find me and save me from this. This wasn't where I was meant to be. As this thought crossed my mind, I realized that I still had my cell phone with me. I checked to see if I had any messages, and I had three of them, all from Bruce. I made sure no one was around before I checked them.

Tears filled my eyes and it wasn't long before the tears started rolling down my cheeks as steadily as the rain that was rolling off the window. He thought I was mad at him, he thought he'd done something wrong. I had to call him, I _had _to tell Bruce what had really happened. He had to know I wouldn't do that to him. I would never just leave him, no matter what he did to me. I started to dial Bruce's number, and I saw a hand with a purple glove on it grab the phone from my hand. I turned around, and I saw the Joker standing there, looking smug at the fact that he had caught me.

"I have to call my boyfriend. Please, he thinks I'm mad at-"

"That's just too bad isn't it, Sweetheart?" Joker asked in a mocking tone.

"I swear I won't tell him where I am. You can stand right here and listen to," I pleaded with the Joker. I didn't expect him to show any sympathy towards me, but why could he at least be civil? I was guessing he was going to kill me anyway. What else would he do with me? He only cared about himself; he only cared about causing destruction in the town. He certainly didn't care about my stupid, insignificant life.

"You can't-"

"If you give me this, I swear to you I won't fight you when you kill me. I'll make sure no one ever knows it was you. Just let me say goodbye to him," I pleaded with him even more. It had started to rain even more, if that were possible. I was on the verge of breaking down completely. The only thing that was keeping me from it was knowing that it wouldn't help me at all.

"Get it through your head, sweetheart. I'm not going to kill you. You're no use to me if you're dead. You're just another story in the news. If I use you as a hostage, they'll come looking for you, and I'll have more of a chance of getting what I want," Joker replied. Obviously, he was un-phased by the look in my eyes that was telling him to shut the fuck up and just kill me already and to quit fucking with my mind before he did it.

"What is that you want anyway? Do you want to completely destroy this whole city?"

"All I want is to know who Batman really is," Joker said, a grin forming on his face.

"Are you fucking serious? You're killing people, destroying lives of innocent people just so you'll know who Batman is?" I asked. I made sure I hid any sign that I actually knew who Batman was. I knew what the Joker would do to Bruce if I said anything. I wasn't going to be the reason Bruce got killed for trying to save people from freaks like the Joker.

"If you know who he is, you'd better tell me sweetheart. You're such a pretty girl, and I'd hate to destroy your pretty little face," Joker spat. He started laughing almost sadistically as he walked out of the room, shutting and locking the door behind him.

He took my damn phone with him. He locked the fucking door. As if I could get out that way anyway. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he was patrolling the door like some fucking armed prison guard. The only way out was through the window. Then again, maybe if I told the Joker what he wanted to know, he'd let me go. Maybe if I told him who Batman was, he'd let me go and I could get to Bruce in time to tell him what was coming for him. That was probably the stupidest thing I'd ever thought of, but it just might be stupid enough to work, right? I started pounding on the door, hoping that the Joker would hear me and come to me.

"What do you want sweetheart?" Joker snapped. Obviously, he didn't like my pounding on the door.  
"Nothing, but I do have something you want," I whispered.

"Just what do you mean sweetheart?"

"I know something you want to know, Jokie," I replied.

"I don't know what the hell you're doing, but you'd better stop. And don't ever call me that again," Joker snapped. I was annoying him, but that was the goal.

"Fine," I said shrugging. "Find out who Batman is on your own. You could have made it _so _easy on yourself too," I sighed.

"You know who he is, don't you?"

I simply nodded my head, **knowing **I was being a dumbass at this moment. "I'll tell you on one condition. You promise me you won't kill him. If you get him arrested, I'm betting he'll be okay, but if you kill him, I won't tell you anything. So, what will it be?"


	3. The Wanting Comes in Waves

No matter how you put it, I was being a coward by giving away my own boyfriend. I was being cowardly, self-centered, and most of all disloyal. Bruce had trusted me with that one secret. He believed me when I swore I'd never tell a single soul. I don't know why he would trust me with a secret, the fact that I couldn't keep a secret if pressured into telling it was one of my biggest flaws. Maybe the Joker wouldn't believe me. Maybe he wouldn't even accept the offer I'd made because he wanted to murder Batman that badly. All my hopes were shattered as soon as I heard the Joker's response.

"Fine sweetheart. Who is he?"

"Bruce Wayne," I muttered. I'd never cried like this until today, until everything that I used to know slowly started to become a distant memory.

"You're fucking lying," Joker whispered in my ear.

"I wish I was, but I'm not. What would I get out of lying to you about it? All I get to do is see his whole life ripped to shreds because of me. He trusted me, but I betrayed that and I don't fucking know why," I snapped. I hated being called a liar. I would much rather have had him call me a stupid slut rather than be called a liar.

"Maybe you like me and you wanted to amuse me," Joker said shrugging.

"I don't fucking like you, asshole," I responded, glaring at him. He glared back at me. Obviously, he didn't like it when people fought back.

"Watch your mouth, sweetheart," Joker said, throwing me back my cell phone. "Since you amused me so much with your little theory on who Batman is, I'll give you this back. Don't be stupid with it," Joker added before walking out of the room and locking the door again. I smiled to myself. I'd b never /b expected him to give me this back. I stupidly ignored his last 'warning' to me and I dialed in Bruce's phone number. All I could do was hope that Bruce would answer.

"Hello?" Bruce said as he answered the phone.

"Bruce, please don't think I'm mad at you," I said, half-pleading with him.

"Where are you Alicia?" Bruce asked in a somewhat calm voice.

"I can't tell you," I whispered.

"Why not?"

"Because I just can't," I replied.

"Why can't you tell me? You owe this much to me, Alicia," Bruce argued with me.

"I wish-"

"Save your breath, Alicia. I don't want to know anymore. Since you can't even tell me what the hell is going on with you, I guess we don't need to be together anymore," Bruce said. He hung up the phone before I could say anything in response. Tears filled my eyes yet again, and I threw the phone against the wall with as much force as I could gather. It broke into about five smaller pieces and they landed on the floor.

That was pretty much my life at the moment. What had once been perfect and complete was now broken into tiny pieces that couldn't be fixed. No one could fix the shattered pieces of my life now. I'd lost the one person that was holding me together. It was my fault because I was, again, a coward and I didn't tell him where I was. Everything i could have/i been okay. It was too late now to wonder though. I could just hope and pray that something would make it better, no matter how unlikely it was.

"What's wrong now sweetheart?" Joker asked as he walked into my room. I rolled my eyes; I wasn't really in the mood for him right now.

"Nothing," I mumbled under my breath, jumping only slightly at noticing that the Joker had sat down next to me on the floor.

"You called him, didn't you?" Joker inquired, noting the shattered phone that was lying on the floor.

"Yes. It's over though, and don't worry, I didn't say anything about you to him. He has no idea I'm here," I sighed.

"You're smarter than you look, sweetheart," Joker said smiling. His smile was somewhat creepy due to the permanent smile that was already on his face from only God knows what. "Don't worry about it. He's not your type anyway. You don't seem like you'd fall in love with a good guy," Joker spoke as he stood up, and walked out yet again.

What the fuck was that about? Was he actually being nice to me? Was he trying to be a friend to me? No way. He couldn't have been; he's the Joker for fuck's sake. That wasn't supposed to happen. All I knew was that it confused me much more than I was already confused. He was somewhat of an asshole to me when I tried to help him, but when I was upset because my boyfriend broke up with me, he was icomforting/i. That just doesn't make sense. Maybe he was bi-polar or something.

My thoughts were now rambling inside my head, and I hated when that happened. I always had the stupidest thoughts. For example, the thought that the Joker might i care /i about me crossed my mind for a brief second. Damn, I needed sleep.


	4. Screaming Mayday

[a/n: I'm sorry this took me ages to post on here. I've been just really tired lately. Thank you for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. ]

If only I had known how messed up my mental state was going to be after I had lied for the Joker, I would never have done it. If I knew that loosing Bruce would eventually lead to me loosing my mind, I would have done things differently.

It certainly didn't take long for Bruce to move on from me. Within a week or so, he had a new girlfriend. Her name was Ava, and she seemed nice enough. I wanted Bruce to be happy, and he certainly seemed to be happy with this girl, but I couldn't help but feel jealous. I should have still been the one to make Bruce happy.

But here I was. I was wasting away in this small, cramped room with only a small window to look out of, and my only company was the Joker. And, I needed him now. I needed the company of another human being, no matter who it was. I started to pound on the door, hoping the Joker would get annoyed with it and let me out of here, or at least have a slight conversation with me.

"What is it now, sweetheart?" Joker snapped. _And I was starting to think he had a nice side to him? _

"Nothing," I sighed. I knew he would just laugh right in my face if I said I wanted company. "Sorry I bothered you."

"You'd better have _something. _I didn't come here for nothing," Joker responded.

"I forgot what I needed to tell you!" I snapped. _Why _did I want to see him again?

"I saw your boyfriend on the TV today. Well, actually your ex-boyfriend," Joker said, a slight smirk forming on his face.

"I want him to be happy," I replied flatly and completely void of any emotion at all.

"Bullshit," Joker whispered in my ear. "You're the worst liar I've ever met, sweetheart. You want nothing more than to be in her place and you know it."

"You're wrong," I said, my voice cracking slightly. I couldn't cry now. Not in front of him, I realized that it probably wasn't a good idea to show weakness around him. I have no fucking clue what was going through his head, but the next thing I knew the Joker kissed the back of my neck, and it sent a chill down my spine.

"Forget about him, sweetheart. I told you he wasn't your type," Joker whispered in my ear. He was fucking with my mind. That's all there was to it. He _wanted _to see me have a mental breakdown. Of course he would want that.

"I said I was fine," I said, my voice still breaking. I wanted to hide the fact that I liked it when the Joker kissed the back of my neck, but the second time he did it, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I let out a moan, and I could _feel _the Joker smile as he turned me around so I was facing him.

"I told you he wasn't your type," Joker muttered as he practically shoved me down on the bed. I didn't say anything because although I should I have shoved him off of me, I didn't want him to stop. I didn't want him to stop running his hands up and down my back as he lifted my shirt over my head, and I certainly didn't want him to stop kissing from my neck down to my waist. I knew that there was no love behind what we were doing, but I didn't care. He was being so surprisingly gentle with me. I could almost say that the Joker was better in bed than Bruce was. If he wanted me to stop thinking about Bruce, he certainly got what he wanted. All I could think about was how good this felt, even though it meant nothing. It meant nothing to him, at least.

***

Not surprisingly, he left almost immediately after we did 'it'. I can't say that I didn't want him to stay with me. I can't say that I didn't enjoy what had just happened, and I can't say that it wasn't a mistake. The thoughts I had about him having some sort of feelings towards me returned, and they were worse than before. Not to mention, I couldn't help but think things I shouldn't have about the Joker. I should **not **be thinking about how I'd like to be his someday. I shouldn't be thinking that at all. It was sick, there was nothing normal about thinking that you'd want to be in a relationship with someone as insane as he is.

As the day went on, all I could think of was how I'd settle for anything where the Joker was concerned. I'd take being his whore, his anything pretty much. I was slowly losing my sanity as these thoughts continued to go on in my head. Maybe it was the fact that Bruce had moved on so quickly made it worse. It made me want to spite him by moving on with someone. If that someone was the Joker, then that's who it'd be. I _wanted _it to be the Joker. It would be sure to drive Bruce insane, for fuck's sake, he was Batman. Of course it'd be fucked up for his ex-girlfriend to move on with the Joker, a man who kills for fun. What would that say about him? I don't even know, but I'm guessing it'd be something bad. I know I'd be forced to make assumptions if I saw that happen. It might even lead someone to think that Batman was using an innocent person to get to his enemies. That wouldn't say anything good about him as a person. It seems like something one of his enemies would do. Maybe, I'd talk to the Joker about this even though he didn't believe me when I told him that I knew who Batman was. Maybe I'd destroy Bruce Wayne so I could get what I wanted; the Joker.


End file.
